Blueshirt Boggle

Point-less

Before getting into another dismal review of the Rangers play last evening, I would first like to take a moment to discuss the lack of "True Blue" last night.

We all hold the players accountable, often too accountable, for what they do on the ice.

Yet, we forget that we as fans are also accountable for our actions.

With this particular group, lately it has been difficult to muster up the money or the will to go sit through three or more periods of agonizingly painful and boring hockey.

However, even with the current struggles, I was incredibly disheartened at the lack of attendance for Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell last night.

Steve Zipay of Newsday said it best, it was embarrassing and uncomfortable. Sitting in my seat all I kept thinking as I stared into the abyss of empty seats was, "will this be all that Bathgate and Howell will see when they walk onto the  ice?"

Part of this is the fault of Madison Square Garden. They should have never waited this long to retire both numbers and as time has worn on, unfortunately so has the disconnect between generations.

However, it ultimately comes down to the fans.

Rangers fans pride themselves on their dedication, loyalty, and devotion to the franchise. Last night, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Typically, this will apply to the corporate seats near the bottom, but last night, the blues were as empty as ice level. That is unacceptable.

First, I likened it to the struggles of the current Rangers on the ice. Then, I tried to rationalize the economy. I even tried seeing what sporting event was taking precedence over this.

But in all  honesty, it came down to Rangers fans just not caring enough.

And just when I had shrugged it off, the lights come on for puck drop and the Garden is greater than 90% full. Could anything have been a greater slap in the face to two classy gentleman who paved the way for every Ranger since?

I am sure that everyone will have an excuse, but this lack of turnout is squarely a failure of the fans.

If we only attend when the Rangers are winning then how are we any better than a casual or bandwagon fan?

The Garden Faithful needs to be restored, revived, and reinvented. But it must be done with a respect for the past, an objective understanding of the presence, and a fair outlook of the future.

More to come...

Why Bathgate Nicked Plante, and Other Tales

SUNDAY UPDATE: The Rangers gave up too quickly last night -- time to send the team a message. Click here to see the full report and links at Blueshirt Bulletin+ (monthy users click here).

In 1959, Andy Bathgate became the first Ranger to ever score 40 goals and 80 points (in what was then a 70-game regular season), he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, he was a first-team All-Star, and he played in his third All-Star Game. But what he is asked most from that year is about the time he hit Jacques Plante in the face with a shot, forcing Plante to don a mask, a watershed moment in how goaltenders play their position. Although Bathgate has in the past admitted that he hit Plante in the face on purpose with that shot, today he told the whole story."

So starts the first of our two stories at Blueshirt Bulletin+ about Bathgate and Harry Howell, the pair who will be honored tomorrow night at the Garden. Click here and here if you subscribe to Blueshirt Bulletin and have registered for Blueshirt Bulletin+ access to read what the two have to say as well as to see today's links and reader comments. Monthly BB+ users click here and here. Subscribers who need help accessing BB+ should write to us at [email protected] E-mail us or click here to learn how to subscribe to the magazine and get quick access to BB+ -- you can be up and running in the time it takes to write an E-mail message if you subscribe via PayPal or credit card.

The February issue of Blueshirt Bulletin is now available in digital format via Zinio. You can read a single issue or take out an online subscription there. You can read it within your browser or you can download it and read it offline. Click here to subscribe (there is a link on that page for single copies). You can test drive the Zinio reader and read a sampling of the print edition while there. Blueshirt Bulletin+ access comes with all Zinio purchases -- single issue buyers will get access for one month from today, full year subscribers will get access for the duration of your subscription term. While Zinio handles all the logistics for taking out a subscription and delivering each copy, you must contact us directly about accessing BB+ -- E-mail your Zinio receipt to [email protected] to get access instructions.

Finding a Band-Aid

A win is a win, even if it isn't completely convincing.

Having defeated the Islanders 3-1 on Wednesday, the Rangers now look to two more important games: Saturday at Buffalo and Sunday at home against Toronto.

Tomorrow night will be difficult, as it always seems to be in Buffalo. Yet, Sunday is a must-win game. Toronto has played better and it is Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate Night, but there are no excuses for a loss Sunday.

With the playoff picture continuously changing this season, every point makes a difference and the Rangers must capitalize against non-playoff teams the rest of the way to assure their spot in the postseason. Back-to-back games with Toronto, followed by home games against Florida and Colorado should afford the Rangers plenty of opportunities for points.

Following their latest victory, their play should be able to springboard them into this stretch of games with some confidence and a legitimate chance for wins.

Henrik Lundqvist will be a key component (of course) to success for the Blueshirts as the season winds down. His stellar performance Wednesday may solidify his confidence a bit and get him rolling. He is easily the top goaltender in the Atlantic Division and top three in the Eastern Conference. If "The King" is set atop his throne, he is difficult to beat.

Scott Gomez and Wade Redden, who have absorbed the brunt of the Garden Faithful this season, have played better in the past couple games and you can see their confidence level rising as well. If both continue to look for opportunities to the net as opposed to away from it, scoring will increase as will their success on the powerplay. This will be critical in the postseason.

One factor that must be addressed by the trade deadline is the lineup. Petr Prucha, Aaron Voros, Nigel Dawes, and Lauri Korpikoski consistently fight for a spot. While inner-competition is always a good thing, come the playoffs, you want a set roster with set line combinations. The Rangers must address that one way or another.

Speaking of Prucha and Dawes, they were outstanding alongside Chris Drury on Wednesday. If that line clicks again this weekend, it should stay intact just for the soul purpose as it gets all three players going offensively.

If that were the case, then Lauri Korpikoski would be your extra and the Rangers would need to do something with Aaron Voros. Then again, there is the Sean Avery Saga.

Will he be going for "Sloppy Seconds" on Broadway? Many believe it is inevitable. If that is true then who are the oddmen out? If this is a waiver situation the Rangers must clear space. If it is a trade situation, who do they move? My suspicion was Michal Rozsival.

It's going to get interesting here at BB over the next couple weeks so stay tuned.

More to come...

Love the emails, answering them as I can, but always feel free to email me at [email protected].

Back to Drury Lane With the Muffin Man

No sturm und drang today, just a nice effort all around, a 3-1 win with a power play goal accounting for the meaningful margin of victory. "This is step one," said Lundqvist, finally rewarded with a win after having lost the last three times he held an opponent to just one goal. "We talked about it before the game -- we told ourselves, 'Let's start a new season today and this is the first game out of 24.' We just tried to get a fresh start. We have to remember we are still in the playoffs here. 24 games, new season, this is game one, we start building from here. So this is a good start to the new season."

For more of Lundqvist talking about the Rangers' 3-1 win and joking around about the Rangers' Mr. Muffin, see Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- click here if you subscribe to Blueshirt Bulletin and have registered for Blueshirt Bulletin+ access to read what Lundqvist, Gomez, Drury, Dawes, Redden, and Renney had to say as well as to see today's links and reader comments. Monthly BB+ users click here. Subscribers who need help accessing BB+ should write to us at [email protected] E-mail us or click here to learn how to subscribe to the magazine and get quick access to BB+ -- you can be up and running in the time it takes to write an E-mail message if you subscribe via PayPal or credit card.

The February issue of Blueshirt Bulletin is now available in digital format via Zinio. You can read a single issue or take out an online subscription there. You can read it within your browser or you can download it and read it offline. Click here to subscribe (there is a link on that page for single copies). You can test drive the Zinio reader and read a sampling of the print edition while there. Blueshirt Bulletin+ access comes with all Zinio purchases -- single issue buyers will get access for one month from today, full year subscribers will get access for the duration of your subscription term. While Zinio handles all the logistics for taking out a subscription and delivering each copy, you must contact us directly about accessing BB+ -- E-mail your Zinio receipt to [email protected] to get access instructions.

Fire-Up Players By Firing Some Players

That's what Montreal did -- maybe the Rangers can try that too, seeing how much their top four veterans are underachieving, rather than risk a new coach tearing up the entire organization with a win-now mandate that we know from past experience does not work. For our take on the parallels that can be drawn between the meltdowns in Montreal and New York, see Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- click here to read it and see today's links and reader comments (monthly BB+ readers click here). Subscribers who need instructions on how to access BB+ should write to us at [email protected] E-mail us or click here to learn how to subscribe to the magazine and get instant BB+ access.

DAN AKESON'S PREVIEW OF TONIGHT'S BIG GAME AGAINST THE ISLES CAN BE READ BY SCROLLING DOWN TO THE NEXT POSTING!!!

The February issue of Blueshirt Bulletin came out last Friday and should've arrived in most mailboxes by now. With all the turmoil in Rangerland, this issue is actually a bit of a respite, focusing on the past and future rather than the present. The issue centers around Adam Graves Night, with three pages of photos and articles and a crossword puzzle dedicated to Graves.

As for the future, we have a trade deadline preview along with a look at significant stretch run trades of the past, as well as our trademark prospect coverage -- articles on Bobby Sanguinetti and Mike Del Zotto plus a peek at a Wolf Pack practice and a mid-term update of amateur prospects. Add to that our usual features -- Ranger News & Notes, Ranger Quote Book, Ranger Timeline, Stars and Sticks of the month, Wolf Pack News & Notes, and All Around the Rink with John Halligan (sorry, no Biofiles or View From the Blues this time around).

BLueshirt Bulletin is available in both print and digital formats. To subscribe to the print edition, E-mail us at [email protected] for information or just click here. A digital edition is available online via Zinio. You can read a single issue or take out an online subscription there. You can read it within your browser or you can download it and read it offline. Click here to subscribe (there is a link on that page for single copies). You can test drive the Zinio reader and read a sampling of the print edition while there.

Blueshirt Bulletin+ access comes with all subscriptions and all Zinio purchases -- single issue buyers will get access for one month from today, full year subscribers will get access for the duration of your subscription term. While Zinio handles all the logistics for taking out a digital subscription and delivering each copy, you must contact us directly about subscribing to the print edition and about accessing BB+ -- E-mail your Zinio receipt to [email protected] to get access instructions if you choose that route.

Game 7 Tonight at MSG

While we all hope that Game 7 will refer to a 2008 - 2009 Stanley Cup Finals headline on the 7th Avenue marquee, tonight's game against the suddenly-potent Islanders could have similar importance.

On the weekend, we discussed the significance of both Monday's game ( 2 - 1 loss at St. Louis) and tonight's contest. What impact would losses have on the organization? Well, we may be a mere 12 hours or so from finding out.

As the Rangers return home, many questions face them and their fate. Before St. Louis, it may have still been possible to salvage some respectability with back-to-back wins, writing their play off as a "slump."

However, with one loss already in the books, would a win tonight be enough to keep this group intact? I am not so sure. The confidence in this group is dwindling and the fans' confidence in them is even lower.

It is clearly evident that the Rangers are not Stanley Cup contenders with this current lineup, but now there is not a great deal of security in a playoff berth.

Yet, the Rangers should not be placed in the same category as Boston, San Jose, or Detroit because their roster is just flat-out less talented.

When examining the roster, the flaws that many observed during this off-season have been magnified. No longer in first place, the Rangers can't hide the fact that their power play is disgraceful or that Henrik Lundqvist may be the sole reason the Rangers win most games.

The lack of toughness on defense, a potent scoring winger, and a confident puck moving defenseman has hampered the team and where good cohesive play was able to garner them success early on, their recent disconnect on the ice has shown that, individually, this is not a top team.

Which is OK.

Not to say that their play should be excused, because they have committed enough careless errors of late to drive any coach insane, but this team is competing with the middle of the pack despite their glaring shortcomings.

Consider also the "real" make-up of this team:

• Only 3 players (Wade Redden, Markus Naslund, and Chris Drury) are over 30 years old (Steve Valliquette is 30)
• 10 players are 25 years old or younger
• Lundqvist is only 26 years old (most goaltenders reach their prime between 28 and 30)

Let's not use age as an excuse, but this is a dramatically unproven group. If you look at the current Rangers who have established themselves at the NHL level, the list is very short. Naslund, Drury, Gomez, and Redden are really the only names that are guaranteed to be on an NHL roster the remainder of their career.

Not to say the likes of Marc Staal or Lundqvist won't have long NHL careers, but enough can go wrong this early in their young careers that nothing is set in stone.

In retrospect, the Rangers have continued to do quite a bit since the lockout with a very young and unproven roster.

Not to "sugar coat" the situation, but it does make the pill easier to swallow.

Getting back to tonight, this game provides as much opportunity for success as it does disaster. Should the Rangers win against a bitter rival at home, they could win back their fans and gain some confidence heading into the weekend, possibly buying themselves some more time prior to the trade deadline. Should they lose, GM Glen Sather will be forced to make a move to shakeup the roster, something that most fans have been clamoring for.

Regardless, with the trade deadline a mere two weeks away, the Rangers are painting a very clear picture as to what needs to be done to compete with the likes of Boston and San Jose. But the question remains: are those needs available?

More to come...

Feel free to email me at [email protected] with questions, comments, or debate.   

Personnel and Power Play Put Renney in Precarious Position

TUESDAY UPDATE: Same story in St. Loo -- mainly the power play, also some more strange personnel decisions. Click here to read about it at Blueshirt Bulletin+ (monthly BB+ readers click here).

Everything changed at 1:18 of the second period. The Rangers' tenuous hold on playoff aspirations and Tom Renney's tenuous hold on the team changed for the worse when the game changed after another in a long line of inept power plays ended in a league-leading 14th shorthanded goal. This one was during a five-on-three, a potential game changer for the Rangers in a 1-0 match that turned into a game breaker, the Rangers again collapsing like a house of cards at the first sign of adversity. Renney was beyond powerless to alter the course of this game or this season -- and ultimately his career as Ranger coach. That's because this one was all his own doing.

The rest of our rant on how Tom Renney undermined his own cause with his power play choices and his decisions on whom to bench can be found at Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- click here if you subscribe to Blueshirt Bulletin and have registered for Blueshirt Bulletin+ access to read it and see today's links and reader comments. Monthly BB+ users click here. Subscribers who need instructions on how to access BB+ should write to us at [email protected] E-mail us or click here to learn how to subscribe to the magazine and get quick access to BB+ -- you can be up and running in the time it takes to write an E-mail message if you subscribe via PayPal or credit card.

DAN AKESON'S TAKE ON RENNEY AND THE GAME CAN BE READ BY SCROLLING DOWN TO THE NEXT POSTING!!!

The February issue of Blueshirt Bulletin is now available in digital format via Zinio. You can read a single issue or take out an online subscription there. You can read it within your browser or you can download it and read it offline. Click here to subscribe (there is a link on that page for single copies). You can test drive the Zinio reader and read a sampling of the print edition while there.

Blueshirt Bulletin+ access comes with all Zinio purchases -- single issue buyers will get access for one month from today, full year subscribers will get access for the duration of your subscription term. While Zinio handles all the logistics for taking out a subscription and delivering each copy, you must contact us directly about accessing BB+ -- E-mail your Zinio receipt to [email protected] to get access instructions.

THE PRINT EDITION WENT INTO THE MAIL LAST FRIDAY, SO IT SHOULD BE ARRIVING IN MAILBOXES SHORTLY, IF IT HASN"T ARRIVED ALREADY. INDIVIDUAL COPIES WILL GO ON SALE AT COSBY'S ON WEDNESDAY.

Heartless on V-Day Weekend

As a youth hockey coach, I constantly implore that the most important part of hockey is not the skill, but the will. You can lose every game, but as long as you are giving your entire effort on every shift, then you can't really lose.

As a Rangers' fan, I feel that the same can be said for the team you watch on the ice. Even if the Rangers lose, if they go out and try hard, then at least you know they care about the game as much as you do.

However, in a shootout loss to Florida on Friday and an abysmal matinee showing this afternoon against Philadelphia, you can't take solace in the effort and have legitimate concerns about the direction of this club the remainder of the season.

For those who haven't read my writing before, let me first explain that I am not a knee-jerk fan. I try and take an objective look at the overall picture, the personnel, and maintain reasonable expectations.

For example, I am a huge fan of Head Coach Tom Renney. I know this is unpopular, particularly after this latest debacle. Yet, unlike the previous coaches before him, he has made the playoffs every full season he's coached and shown the ability to improve each season.

Even with the slump the Rangers are currently mired in, I do not feel that dumping Renney is the answer. That's not to say that this group couldn't benefit from a change of leadership, but who (realistically) could effectively replace Renney at this point in the season?

The front office-types such as Jim Schoenfeld or Glen Sather are not going to take on that role, nor should they. Would bringing in a coach such as John Tortorella or Peter Laviolette help? Perhaps, but what's to say that this group would respond to them any better than Renney?

There are no guarantees in sports and right now the Rangers are in the thick of a very tight playoff race and any changes must be made very carefully and well-timed.

However, this is not to say that there shouldn't be accountability. Obviously, there has to be and that spans across the entire organization. Both Larry Brooks and Rick Carpinello discussed the blame game today and were very critical of both Renney and Sather. Yet, if you really look at what was done, the Rangers signed the best players available the past couple off-seasons and at contracts comparable to what they were being offered elsewhere.

Wade Redden clearly has not found his confidence, but has he been any worse than Michal Rozsival? Aside from Marc Staal, none of the Rangers defensemen have shown the ability to play hard every night.

Chris Drury hasn't scored, but is he really a scorer? Sure, the season prior to joining the Rangers he put up great point totals, but that was on a high powered Buffalo team. He is not the scoring type, but he has been defensively responsible and accepted any role that Renney has asked.

Similar with Scott Gomez. He accumulated points, but he is a playmaker, not a goal scorer. Markus Naslund as well.

The list goes on and on, but any sports team has those conflicts and second-guesses.

At this point in time, the Rangers need to assess what will get this team going. Early in the season, every Rangers' fan was enamored at the speed that this group showed. Where has that gone? Could Sean Avery be the answer? Perhaps, but I think it goes deeper than that.

There is a very distinct disconnect between the players and the system and that has to be tightened up or else any changes will be fruitless.

When we look back on this season, count this coming week as the turning point, one way or another. With a difficult game tomorrow night in St. Louis followed by a visit from the Islanders on Wednesday, this week will make or break this group and the direction going forward.

Losses and the team could very well make a drastic move such as trading a big contract or firing the coaching staff. Wins and this team could regain confidence and get back to their winning ways.

More to come...

Feel free to email me at [email protected] with questions, comments, or debate.   

February Issue Now Available in Digital Format

SATURDAY UPDATE: Lundqvist, Renney, and Dubinsky talk about last night's shootout loss in Florida at Blueshirt Bulletin+ -- click here to read about it (BB+ monthly users click here).

The February issue of Blueshirt Bulletin is now available in digital format via Zinio. You can read a single issue or take out an online subscription there. You can read it within your browser or you can download it and read it offline. Click here to subscribe (there is a link on that page for single copies). You can test drive the Zinio reader and read a sampling of the print edition while there.

Blueshirt Bulletin+ access comes with all Zinio purchases -- single issue buyers will get access for one month from today, full year subscribers will get access for the duration of your subscription term. While Zinio handles all the logistics for taking out a subscription and delivering each copy, you must contact us directly about accessing BB+ -- E-mail your Zinio receipt to [email protected] to get access instructions.

THE PRINT EDITION WENT INTO THE MAIL THIS MORNING, SO IT SHOULD BE ARRIVING IN MAILBOXES SHORTLY. INDIVIDUAL COPIES WILL GO ON SALE AT COSBY'S ON WEDNESDAY.

Eager and Excited at BB

Good afternoon Rangers' fans!
Let me first thank BB guru Dubi Silverstein for the opportunity to contribute a greater role with the publication and at BlueshirtBulletin.com.

Before getting into the heart of our Rangers coverage, particularly with some great pre-game coverage coming at BB+, I would like to take the chance to introduce myself.

As Dubi mentioned, I am a season ticket holder and grew up a die-hard fan. Some of the fondest memories of my youth revolve around the Rangers, the Stanley Cup, of course, being tops. I can recall going to my first game, having the privilege to watch "The Great One" skate night-in and night-out on Broadway, and most recently attending all four retirement ceremonies for Mike Richter, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and Adam Graves.

The Rangers are a tremendous part of who I am.

However, there is a technical side to my Rangers passion and that is illustrated best in my many writing ventures. After graduating from Fairfield University (yes, the prep school that Chris Drury attended was on-campus) with a double major in English and Journalism, I crossed paths with Dubi during a final course assignment. Having been a BB subscriber for a long time, it was a thrill just to speak and hear the inner workings of the publication. From there, I was afforded the opportunity to become the Copy Editor.

While going along with my post-college life, I began a small blog called Pucks on Broadway just to keep up with my writing skills. Around the same time that the blog gained some momentum, I received an email from Dubi with an opportunity to work with non eother than MSG's Stan Fischler.

It was a very exciting time, and immediately began working on his newsletter, various blogs and publication contributions, as well as in-game coverage at The Garden and The Rock. I continue to work with "The Maven," most recently on his upcoming book.

During the past two years while on the "blogging" scene, I have worked with Outside The Garden, Ranger Nation, Versus and even The Hockey News. This past season I was also selected to be the Editor-In-Chief of "Rangers Review," the official Rangers Fan Club Newsletter. All of which have led me to meet some fantastic people, fans, players, and media-types.

However, my focus is now with BB and while I will continue to update Pucks on Broadway, my goal is to bring my work here. BB is now home, and as Graves recently said, "it feels good to be home."

Like all of you, I live and die by wins, losses, trades, signings, and headlines and I look forward to going through all of them here at BB.

Feel free to email me at [email protected] with questions, comments, or debate.